Last Updated on 2 years by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: Will Pat Cummins play in the 2nd Test vs West Indies? | Pat Cummins speaks about his chances of playing 2nd Test
Australian skipper Pat Cummins said he is a good chance to bowl in the second Test vs West Indies after a small strain on his right quad prevented him from rolling his arm over in the second innings of the first match in Perth.
“If it [the match] got a bit tighter I was going to have a bowl, but I’m pretty happy I managed to not bowl to give myself a good chance,” Cummins was quoted in a report by the Sydney Morning Herald.
He added, “It’s just a small strain so normally about a one-weeker. If you bowl and make it worse it can make it longer, but I’ll spend the next few days rehabbing, getting it right and think it’s a pretty good chance I’ll be good for Adelaide.”
Australia’s second Test against the visiting Caribbean unit will commence on 8th December in Adelaide. Cummins will have to pass a fitness test to make it to the playing XI of that match. Pacer Scott Boland will replace him in the team in case he fails to do that. Steven Smith will be leading the side under such circumstances.
Australia need Pat Cummins to be fit for matches after 2nd Windies Test, too
Australia will face the touring South Africans for a three-match Test series before heading to India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the conclusion of their on-going assignment against West Indies. These three series’ are critical for Australia’s prospects of qualifying for the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23.
They are currently placed at the top of the standings. Post that, they will have to prepare for the One Day International (ODI) World Cup in India in October 2023. Cummins has acknowledged the necessity to manage his workload amidst such a tiring international schedule. The fast bowler also pulled out of the 16th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) citing the same reason.
“I don’t really want to turn a one-week injury into a three- or four-week injury and you potentially miss the summer. So we’ll weigh all that up. As I said, I felt pretty comfortable out there. Give it a few days. It already feels pretty good,” Cummins explained.
He further quipped, “The physio might be less optimistic, but I think I’ll be fine. I’m sure I’ll have running and a bit of bowling to make sure I’m right.”
Australia won the first Test vs West Indies by 164 runs, overcoming some stern Windies resistance to win on the fifth day. Top-order batsman Marnus Labuschagne was adjudged as the ‘Player of the Match’ for his 204 runs in the first innings and an unbeaten knock of 104 runs in the second one.
